


eight hours behind

by levlinwinlaer



Series: in stanford red [2]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F, everyone goes to stanford bc CARDINAL PRIDE, in honour of kmew confirming dewis on insta, jill ellis resign challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 18:26:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15491961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/levlinwinlaer/pseuds/levlinwinlaer
Summary: London time is eight hours ahead of California time.or,It's a pretty great long-distance relationship, until suddenly it isn't. Also, Steph McCaffrey and Syd Leroux are the best friends a girl could ask for.





	eight hours behind

London time is eight hours ahead of California time.

Kristie's memorised the difference, learned to translate the clock. It's one AM and she can't sleep because the bed feels a little too empty so she'll pull out her phone and text Rachel 'good morning' and get a selfie back with a bowl of cereal, milk dripping from the corner of her smile. It's noon, the campus cafeteria buzzing with noise, and her phone  _dings_  with a picture of Rachel's family, gathered around the dinner table, every person in an English Daly #3 jersey (except for Rachel, who wears a Stanford cardinal jersey stolen from the first trip she ever made to Stanford, #19 blazed across her back). It's ten PM and Kristie's stepping out of the shower after practice and there's a Snapchat notification- a video, Rachel smiling and blowing a kiss to the camera as the London sky turns pink behind her.

Kristie knows the drill. Incessant texting when both of them are awake, FaceTimes between classes and practices and in the depths of night or early morning. Kisses through camera screens. They make the best of it, but the bed's still half-empty.

Steph and Sydney distract her with stupid jokes and pictures of dogs and Scandal marathons, and Sammy comes in from UCLA a few times a month and they get coffee and the team is supportive as ever but-

Kristie is tired of being eight hours behind.

 

The Stanford locker room before a game is too loud, music drilling through Kristie's ears. Everyone's half-dressed and laughing, Kelley jumping on Syd's back and shouting some incomprehensible Stanford chant. Across the room, Ali smiles and drums her fingers in time to the beat until Ashlyn yanks her out of her seat and into the fray.

Uncharacteristically, Steph is quiet, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of her chair. She's on her phone, brow furrowed.

"Stephan!" Kristie shouts across the locker room. "Who're you texting?"

"None of your business!" Steph calls back distractedly, not looking up, and Kristie would annoy her about it but Kelley falls off Sydney's back and pulls two more teammates down with her and Kristie doesn't really feel like getting a cleat to the face today.

She sighs, reaches for her phone. It's eight PM, so Rachel isn't awake yet in London. Kristie texts her anyways, a brief  _'gameday!!!'_ before she turns off her phone and leans her head back against the wall.

 _Ding_.

Kristie reaches for her phone, brow furrowing in confusion when she sees Rachel's name pop up in her notifications.

_Go go go! #KM19 <3 _

_it's 4 am why are u awake babe?_ and then,  _not that i'm complaining ofc_

 _Just got an early start to today_ , and a selfie, a close-up of Rachel's face furrowed with a comical pout. Kristie grins at the sight.

_aww, poor baby_

_I know..._

_miss u so much,_ she types out, and as she clicks send, Steph lunges over to the speaker and turns it off.

"Hey!" Kelley protests. The rest of it is cut off by a knock on the door.

Kristie frowns. Unusual. No one knocks, ever, and the coach isn't supposed to come in for a few more minutes.

"Hey, that's weird," Syd says. She's right by the door (perks of being #2).

"Well, damn," Kelley drawls, "are you going to open it or what?"

"Kelley, shut the fuck up," Steph hisses.

"Jesus, alright, cool it. What’s up with you today, Steph?"

"Hey, Kristie," Syd says in a casual tone which makes Kristie instantly suspicious. "Would you mind getting the door?"

"Why can't you open it?"

"I'm busy," Syd retorts, snatching a roll of pink gauze off the floor and pretending to wrap her calf with it. "And injured. Answer the door for me."

Steph turns expectant eyes to her, and Kristie sighs, heaving herself up.

"God, you guys are weird," she mumbles, and walks over to the door, yanking it open.

Her heart stops.

_Rachel._

Her mouth curving into a hopeful little smile, the corners of her blue eyes crinkling, wearing a cardinal red jersey and ripped jeans, her hair a little blonder than Kristie remembers. Time speeds up, and suddenly eight hours melt away into zero as Rachel stands there, rocking nervously back and forth on her heels. As Kristie stares, she tips her head to the side, a lone strand of hair coming free from her messy bun.

"Hey, love," she says softly, the accent more prominent than ever, and Kristie launches herself forward, grabbing her in a tight hug. Rachel staggers a little with the extra weight, but her arms wrap around Kristie's back, and she smells like vanilla shampoo and airplane soap and she's real, she's really here.

"Rachie," Kristie says, probably-definitely crying a little, and pulls back just to take Rachel's face into her hands and pepper kisses all over her cheeks and nose and lips. She pauses for a moment to just breathe her in. "How-"

"It was Steph's idea," Rachel says, smiling wide, "and Syd gave me the ticket on my birthday. Sammy picked me up from the airport, and I came straight here. Cardinal red and everything. Besides, I wouldn't miss the first game of your season for anything."

"You guys were in on this?" Kristie demands, spinning on her heel. Syd and Steph sport matching grins. "And Sammy, too? Holy shit! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Surprise," Rachel says, laughing. Kristie turns back, tugs her in again by the waist, and kisses her properly for the first time in months.

"Aww," Ali coos from across the room.

"How long are you staying?" Kristie asks, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes.

"Well," Rachel drawls, "how long do you want me to stay for?"

"Forever," Kristie says instantly, kissing her again. "Actually, how long? I have so many things that I want to do with you."

"As long as you want me. Serious. It was quite a bit of paperwork, so please say longer than two weeks."

"Paperwork? Babe, what are you talking about?"

Rachel bites her lip, a little shyly. "Uh... this is Steph and Syd's fault, by the way. But-" She turns around.

Emblazoned on the back of her jersey- Daly. #3. In cardinal red.

"Holy  _fuck_ ," Kristie whispers. "No. No way."

"I transferred," Rachel admits, the smile breaking through. "I know we didn't talk about it, but Stanford wanted me enough to give me a scholarship. I'll still play call-ups with the English National Team, but I'm here now. Home base."

"Oh my God," Kristie says, a little overwhelmed. "We're going to be in the same place."

"No time difference," Rachel says, matching her grin. "Same apartment, too, if you want."

"Of  _course_  I want that. Oh my God, I can't believe that you're here forever."

"Forever's quite a long time. I might get sick of you," Rachel teases, but Kristie swats her arm and she breaks. "Yeah," she says, planting a kiss on Kristie's jaw. "Forever sounds good to me."

"This is so gross," Steph whispers too loudly. Syd nods in agreement, shushing her.

"Oh!" Rachel says, as if it's just occurred to her, pulling away slightly from the kiss. "Carli was in on it too."

"Yeah," Carli says, waving. "Congrats, you two. Daly, you're sitting for this game, but once you start practicing, you'll play games. I'm sure Kristie will be happy to share the practice schedule."

"Carli!" Kelley hisses, scandalised. "What? And you didn't even spill!"

"I don't spill," Carli says with a shrug. "Unlike some people."

"Of course not, Captain Perfect."

"Hey, you know what this means?" Syd says loudly, snapping her fingers until she gets their attention.

Kristie turns slightly, still draped over Rachel. "What?"

"The dry spell is over!" Syd does a celebratory fist pump. Kristie glares.

"Yeah!" Steph cheers. "No more bitchy Kratcheeta!"

"Our girl's getting laid now!" Kelley chimes in, and the locker room dissolves into laughter and catcalls.

Kristie holds her middle finger aloft as she presses her smile to Rachel's.

They've got all the time in the world.


End file.
